Oct 20, 2026 9:00pm IST
‘Verity’ to ‘Obsession’: Hollywood Films That Faced CBFC Cuts in India in 2026
In July, Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” passed the Central Board of Film Certification’s (CBFC) review without a single cut or modification. In 2025, “Avatar: Fire and Ash” also escaped unscathed. The film certification body faced backlash from cinephiles the same year after ordering 41 seconds of footage to be cut from “Superman,” including a mid-air kiss between Clark Kent (David Corenswet) and Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). The scene, which had also featured in the trailer, was reportedly deemed “sensual.”
Dev Patel’s “Monkey Man” remains unreleased in India despite efforts to address concerns around its religious and political references. Similarly, “Anora”, the 2024 Palme d’Or winner that went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, never received a theatrical release in India. Meanwhile, “Oppenheimer” faced backlash over the use of a religious text during an intimate scene, but was eventually cleared for release. Even films certified ‘A’ (Adults Only), which are intended for mature audiences, are often subjected to visual and audio cuts.
One of the latest releases to go through the process, “Digger,” received an ‘A’ certificate but reportedly made it to Indian cinemas without major cuts or changes.
Hollywood films have had a strong run at the Indian box office in 2026, with several English-language releases drawing audiences. “The Odyssey,” “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” and “Obsession” have been among the notable performers, with the latter becoming India's highest-grossing Hollywood film of all time. But films still have to face the CBFC’s scissors. Here’s a look at the Hollywood films that underwent cuts in 2026.
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Verity
The film received an ‘A’ certificate, with the CBFC ordering 23 seconds of footage to be cut, including a kissing scene involving Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson. Mandatory anti-smoking and alcohol health warnings were also added.
Primetime
Also awarded an ‘A’ certificate, the film underwent a seven-second cut to remove a scene depicting frontal nudity. Two instances of profanity were muted, while disclaimers referring to its sensitive themes, psychological drama and disturbing content were added.
Disclosure Day
Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi film received a U/A 13+ certificate. The CBFC ordered three audio edits: two instances of the word “fuck” and one of “sex” were muted. The corresponding subtitles were also altered before the film’s release in Indian cinemas.
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Spider-Man: Brand New Day
The film received a U/A 13+ certificate, with an eight-second kissing scene between leads Tom Holland and Zendaya edited out. Profanity was also muted in three instances, with corresponding changes made to the subtitles.
Obsession
Curry Barker’s supernatural horror film received an ‘A’ certificate but underwent cuts totaling 38 seconds. These included 14 seconds of graphic sexual activity, 24 seconds of intense violence and a visual depicting nudity. The edits sparked debate online, with viewers criticizing the abrupt transitions and arguing that the cuts disrupted the film’s flow.
With “Avengers: Doomsday,” “Dune: Part Three” and “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” among the most awaited releases of the final quarter of 2026, it remains to be seen whether these big-ticket Hollywood films will pass the CBFC’s scrutiny unscathed or face cuts and modifications before their Indian releases.
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